*SPOILERS AHEAD*

Although Doc is an officer, he is also the intellectual of the group (Morbius makes a point of singling him out as somebody with whom he wishes to have further conversations). And his actions differ from those of Adams and Farman. When Altaira shows an interest in the three men (having known only her father all her life), Doc blushes at her compliment. After that, he never makes any advances towards her. Adams and Farman, on the other hand, act like horny adolescents vying for her affections. It is their strutting and territorial fighting over Altaira that most resembles the primitive emotions which are revealed to be the true problem. In the end, it's Doc who sacrifices himself to find a solution (the sacrifice itself involves artificially enhancing his intelligence — they have to think, not shoot, their way to a solution). Although Adams comes through during the climax, he does it with the information that Doc not only provided for him, but had to explain to him. Ultimately, it is the intellectual, not the soldier, who saves the day.

Morbius is the other intellectual in the film. He is a man of science, an entomologist who has spent decades studying another civilization. He delights in discovery and investigation. Although it turns out that the monster is a manifestation of his darkest impulses, Morbius himself is unaware that he is creating it. In fact, the film makes a point that those impulses exist in all of us. So Morbius can be viewed as more of a tragic figure than a real villain.

Unlike many SF movies, Forbidden Planet doesn't blame science or technology for what destroyed the Krell and threatens to destroy the crew of Cruiser C57D. The film faults Mobirus's jealousy and Adams's lechery. It's our most primitive urges — both sexual and violent-- that cause technology to be misused and therefore are most at fault.

The Production
-- Because MGM was willing to spend the money, the production values of Forbidden Planet are high. Thought, effort, and talent obviously went into the special effects, sets, props, and costumes. And even though paintings are used for the backdrops, they, too, are very effective. Stark, ragged peaks dot the landscape, managing to look Earth-like and alien at the same time.

-- Easily, the most iconic thing about Planet is Robby the Robot. Like Gort before him, he is used sparingly, thereby heightening his effectiveness. He's not absolutely essential to the plot, but he adds colour and a sense of wonderment to the movie. (Interestingly, he embodies Asimov's robotic laws; Morbius demonstrates to Adams and the others how Robby is incapable of harming humans.)

-- Planet has a unique electronic soundtrack. Most of the time you can't tell if what you're hearing is supposed to be music or sound effects. Later in the movie, we found out that it's all being done in the style of Krell musicians. At times, it's actually pretty aggravating, but it sounds exotic and alien enough to set it apart from any other film.